• About
  • Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Disclosure

Garden Experiments

Gardening tips, experiments, product reviews, and stories from my backyard.

  • Plants
    • Vegetables
    • Flowers & Plants
  • Projects & Ideas
  • Wildlife
  • Reviews
  • Recipes
  • Gardens & Butterfly Houses
    • Directory of Butterfly Houses by State
    • Garden Tours
You are here: Home / Archives for Wildlife

October 21, 2017

Are Monarchs the only Butterflies That Migrate (in North America)?

Recently emerged Gulf Fritillary butterfly

The orange and black colors of a monarch butterfly are so well-known and we keep an eye out for them each year. It is common knowledge that these butterflies migrate from their nesting grounds in Mexico into the northern United States and back each year. But did you know there are other butterflies the migrate? The most prominent display of migratory butterflies in my garden each year are the Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla) and the … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies / butterflies

September 27, 2017

Cute Green Porch Visitors

Green tree frog

After a week of fall temperatures (one week BEFORE fall), we are back in the heat and humidity of a typical summer day even though we are now officially in the fall season. On a particularly humid night, I opened the back door of my house to see these two little cuties hanging out. They were sitting on a chair directly underneath the porch light, taking advantage of the light attracting a bunch of moths and other flying insects. I am sure they … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / frogs and toads, wildlife

September 23, 2017

Dragonflies: Nature’s Beautiful but Deadly Insect Predators

Common Green Darner Dragonfly (Anax junius)

With a flash of color and blur of movement, dragonflies zip through the air, often catching another insect in mid-flight. Their amazing flying abilities, those large eyes, and fragile wings have always fascinated me. These amazing insects are often brightly colored, though some are more colored to blend in with their surroundings. This blue/green dragonfly was resting near a lake in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was so beautiful I just had to … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / insects, mosquitoes

September 12, 2017

A Weekend Surprise: Butterfly Hatching

Recently emerged Gulf Fritillary butterfly

The Friday night air had hints of fall weather to come and Saturday morning, I opened the windows to my house, letting the fresh breeze in. I love being able to open my windows and let the fresh air blow through the house. This weekend was full of cool breezes and sunny weather. It was a perfect glimpse of the fall weather to come and a great time to get outdoors. We Mississippians give up being outdoors for much of August. We just can't stand … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies / backyard habitat, butterflies, native plants

August 30, 2017

How to Attract and Feed Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterflies

Female black swallowtail butterfly feeding on zinnia

One of the greatest joys I get out of my garden is watching the insects and wildlife that is attracted to the flowers and plants. I know that some of my plants will be consumed by these critters, but I’m willing to share. This week, I stumbled across this little black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) munching in my carrot patch. These little guys have such a bright green color and the yellow and black spots on them seem to hint at … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies / backyard habitat, butterflies

April 15, 2017

Why Keep a Dead Tree In Your Yard?

As I was heading out to work this morning, I looked up at the large pecan tree in the backyard and saw both the male and female wood duck who have been hanging around our yard for a few weeks. The male was flying off and the female was flying into a cavity in one of the large branches of the tree. This large branch has a nice cavity in it, perfect for nesting animals. It looks like we're going to have some ducklings in the yard this … [Read more...]

/ Trees, Wildlife / backyard habitat, trees

March 8, 2017

When Do You Put Out Your Hummingbird Feeders in Spring

The first hummingbirds start migrating northward in early spring, showing up in southern Texas, Louisiana, and northern Florida in late February and the first week of March. It takes a little while longer for them to start showing up in my garden, but they usually show up just when the red buckeyes are in full bloom. This tends to be around mid- to late-March. This is when I’ll hang my hummingbird feeders in my garden. There is a great … [Read more...]

/ Tips, Wildlife / bird feeders, hummingbirds, spring, spring flowers

December 27, 2016

Warm December Temps Bring Out the Bees

Winter in Mississippi is notoriously interesting. Some days we have really cold weather and then 24 hours later, the temperature changes by 20 degrees. This was the case this year. In the previous weeks, we had lows in the 20's and highs in the 30's. It was downright cold for us southerners. Then Christmas week rolls around and our temperatures get into the mid- to high-60's. I enjoyed every minute of it. So do the insects and frogs! When … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Indoor Plants, Wildlife

December 21, 2016

How to Keep Ants Out of Your Hummingbird Feeder

Ant Moat and Hummingbird Feeder

You know the struggle. You find the perfect place for your hummingbird feeder, you know the one, right outside the kitchen window, and the next time you look, there are ants on, in, and around your hummingbird feeder. Once they are inside the feeder, they will die and cause mold and fungus to grow in the food. It's not healthy for the birds and besides, who wants to keep killing ants? Ants have to find a way to crawl on to the feeder in the … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / hummingbirds

October 26, 2016

Be Careful What You Bring Indoors

My little hitchhiker - the spring peeper

The air is getting crisper and the temperatures are dropping. It's getting close to the time to bring your plants indoors for the winter. I have a lot of potted plants, so each year, I have to pick and choose the ones that I am going to try to save and those that I will leave outside. Otherwise, it gets to be a jungle in my house! Hitchhikers on my plants I am rooting some cuttings of a snake plant and for the last few months they have been … [Read more...]

/ Indoor Plants, Wildlife / indoor plants, wildlife

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 8
  • Next Page »

About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Georgia Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With more than 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

Popular Posts

Purple and White Container GardenPurple and White Container Garden12K Total Shares
Don’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a PlanterDon’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a Planter6K Total Shares
Landscape Solutions for the Base of TreesLandscape Solutions for the Base of Trees5K Total Shares
Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”5K Total Shares
How to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling OverHow to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling Over2K Total Shares

Tags

backyard habitat bees berries bird feeders birds bulbs butterflies container garden deer resistant DIY projects fall flowers full sun garden pest gardens herbs how-to hummingbirds indoor plants insects moist soil mulch native plants part shade plant identification projects and ideas propagation propagation. wildflowers raised beds recipes reviews rooting shade shade plants shrubs spring spring flowers succulents Summer trees vegetables vines wildflowers wildlife winter

Categories

Plow & Hearth

© Copyright 2022 Garden Experiments · All Rights Reserved ·